The invention relates to a suspended ceiling system, and, in particular, to a ceiling having conductive material embedded in the grid framework. By using electrical taps in combination with the conductive material, the ceiling system is able to distribute low voltage electricity above, below and within the plane of the grid framework.
A conventional ceiling grid framework includes main grid elements running the length of the ceiling with cross grid elements therebetween. The main and cross elements form the ceiling into a grid of polygonal shaped openings into which functional devices such as ceiling tiles, light fixtures, speakers and the like can be inserted and supported. The grid framework and ceiling tile system may provide a visual barrier between the living or working space and the infrastructure systems mounted overhead.
There is an increasing desire to have electrical functionality, such as power and signal transmission, in the ceiling environment. For several reasons, including aesthetic appeal, conventional techniques include mounting cable trays and electrical junction boxes in the plenum space above the ceiling grid framework. Such systems result in a complex network of wires which occupy the limited space above the ceiling grid, and, once installed, are difficult to service and reconfigure. Moreover, these techniques are limited in that the electricity they provide to the ceiling environment is not accessible from all directions relative the ceiling plane. In other words, electricity can be easily accessed from the plenum but not from areas within or below the plane of the grid framework. Thus, there is a need to provide electrical functionality to the ceiling which can be accessed from above, below and within the plane of the grid framework.